Slowing Down

I've missed blogging despite the fact I really don't have much time to miss it. Juggling three kids this past year has been full of life lessons. It's taken my an entire year to figure out one of the biggest lessons of them all -- s  l  o  w   d  o  w  n.

We needed to slow down. We needed to before Norah came home, but once she got here we really needed to. And yet we didn't. Not until recently. Most of December we stayed in; we made less plans; were less social. This change reaped big results with our kids.

Winter, colder, darker days definitely helped us reign back and enjoy more time home. We've been having more family dinners home around our table rather than out at restaurants or with friends. We've been puling down the red "You Are Special Today" plate for smaller, but still worthwhile achievements, such as: Finishing Your First Series of Chapter Books (Landon, Diary of a Wimpy Kid books) and Kicking Your Nail Biting Habit (Parker).

We've had more Saturdays home. Filled with lazy mornings, walks around the neighborhood, and "gasp" boredom (which we've found is quickly cured with chores).

Honestly my wanderlust isn't tamed. And the other day RJ sent me out to get my antsy-ness satisfied before I brought down the mood in the entire house.(I visited my favorite shop and had a drink with a friend). It can be hard for me to slow down. But the positive affect it's having on my family is more than worth it. Landon is going to be 8 years old in a few months. He's almost halfway done. Halfway grown. This time is fleeting. I want to soak it up.